Ekco was named company of the year at ceremony in Royal Marine Hotel
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Rena Maycock
Rena Maycock, founder and CEO of mobile deep tech firm Chirp (pictured), took home the person of the year award at the Tech Excellence Awards in association with IP Telecom, held at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire.
Chirp is a cyber security solution designed to protect children from exposure to harmful content online by integrating protections at the level of the operating system. Maycock secured a €2.8 million non-dilutive grant from Enterprise Ireland’s Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund to develop the product in association with experts from third level institutions. Private investment was subsequently raised through angel investors. Chirp also won the best impact innovation award at this year’s Davos Innovation Week.
“I would like to congratulate all the winners of tonights event,” said Billy Huggard, operations director of Tech Excellence Awards organiser TechCentral.ie. “Rena is an example of how a great idea can strike a chord around the world. I look forward to seeing Chirp become an international standard for how children can be protected from inappropriate content on smartphones and tablets.”
Shena Brien, CEO of awards headline sponsor IP Telecom, said: ‘‘Now, in our fourth year of partnering with the Tech Excellence Awards, we are delighted to continue our association with the premier showcase of Ireland’s tech industry. Each year, our tech community rises to the challenges to create innovative solutions, forge partnerships, and embrace change. We are proud to be part of celebrating this success and helping cement Ireland as a shining light in the global tech space.”
The lifetime achievement award went to former Enterprise Ireland CEO and IDA chair Frank Ryan.
Ekco was named company of the year.
The Tech Excellence Awards are decided by an independent panel of judges representing industry and academia.
Full list of winners:
- Lifetime achievement award sponsored by CMS Distribution – Frank Ryan
- IT project of the year (private) sponsored by eir business – Storm Technology & NetZero
- IT project of the year (public) sponsored by Ingram Micro – HSE – MN-CMS EHR – Phase 2
- IT project of the year (SME) sponsored by The Noledge Group – BidReview
- Emerging Technology Innovation of the year – SymPhysis Medical
- Digital consultancy of the year sponsored by DigitalTrust.ie – Presidio
- Best place to work sponsored by Auxilion – Unitec IT Solutions
- Diversity award sponsored by Logitech – evcoms
- Vertical market specialist of the year – Aerlytix
- Startup award sponsored by Advania – Treaty Software
- Distributor of the year sponsored by Softcat – DSM Distribution
- Rising Star – Clara Mulligan, co-founder HomeBot Ireland
- Techies Go Green Sustainability award – Fastrack into Information Technology
- IT architect of the year (individual or team) supported by ICS & IASA – Joe Carlyle, eir business
- IT professional of the year (individual or team) sponsored by Fastrack into Information Technology – Stephen Conway, Carne Group
- Marketing Excellence sponsored by The Sunday Times – Roctel
- CIO of the year sponsored by Island Networks – Justin Ralph, RCSI
- Multinational of the year sponsored by Presidio – HPE Ireland
- Managed security service provider of the year – Integrity360
- Managed service company of the year – Triangle Technology Services
- Company of the year sponsored by Lenovo – Ekco
- Person of the year sponsored by IP Telecom – Rena Maycock, founder and CEO, Chirp